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Sunday, August 13, 2017

After sixty straight hours of firefighting, the
Nugget Fire is 100 percent lined as of today. Initially, the terrain posed too
many challenges to crews to build a direct fire line, such as steep slopes, an abundance
of hazard trees and poor access leaving limited to no escape routes. However, over
the past 24 hours significant progress has been made in improving access and
creating safety zones. Local contractors from Butte Falls to Roseburg were
brought in to assist with the removal of numerous hazard trees all within the
fire’s estimated 5 to 10 acre perimeter. This allowed firefighters overnight to
switch tactics from building indirect line away from the fire’s edge, to constructing
a control line up against the perimeter of the burning landscape. Firefighters
are now set up for a more successful and safe firefight.

Air operations continues to play a vital role in the
Nugget Fire. The continuous bucket drops being made have helped cool hot spots
while ground crews chipped away at their respective goals. While members of the
community will still see helicopters dipping out of the Rogue River in Gold
Hill, this is to continue to suppress the interior heat while firefighters on
the ground begin mopping up from the perimeter moving inward.

The Nugget Fire was first reported late Thursday
night burning on Nugget Butte in Gold Hill. The cause of the fire is under
investigation. We would like to thank our partners and members of the community
for the continued support.

The series of fires near Grizzly Peak are now 100
percent lined and 90 percent mopped up. Firefighters will be combing the area
this week in order to ensure that no additional hot spots are present. The
trail system will remain closed until firefighters wrap up their work and feel
that there is no longer a threat to public health and safety. Thank you all in
advance for your patience.

Please keep in mind that we are still in “Extreme”
Fire Danger in Jackson and Josephine Counties. Make sure you and your family
are aware of the current fire restrictions in place. For additional information
about the Oregon Department of Forestry’s current fire restrictions, please
visit: ODF Southwest on Facebook,
or www.swofire.com.

Friday, August 11, 2017

Today, ODF Southwest firefighters and our cooperators tackled numerous fires on ODF-protected
land across Jackson and Josephine Counties. While this storm has pushed our
team to its limits, we are holding true to keeping fires as small as possible,
and keeping the community safe. Nearly every fire we have shared information on
this week is close to being fully lined and in mop up, except for the
following:

The
Nugget Fire is still challenging firefighters as the steep terrain covered in
snags poses a hazard to all personnel on the ground. Crews are continuing to
work on fire line around the perimeter, but access is also playing a role in
the demanding firefight. The fire is still estimated to be 5 to 10 acres by ODF’s
air attack, but we have not yet mapped the fire due to the same challenges
previously mentioned. Overnight, firefighters will be focusing on building and
strengthening control line. While the fire will be letting off smoke, the fire
activity remains moderate primarily in the interior of the burn. No homes are
threatened by this fire.

Also, the series of Grizzly Peak Fires
are being wrapped up, but additional mop up will be taking place tomorrow
before we call all five of these fires 100% contained. Since air operations
will continue cooling hot spots tomorrow, and firefighters will be working
throughout the Grizzly Peak area, a temporary closure of the Grizzly Peak Trail system is in effect
in order to protect public health and safety. For the full information on that closure,
visit www.swofire.com.

We would like to thank the community for
the tremendous amount of support we have all felt while working on countless
number of fires since this storm took off Monday. We are also incredibly grateful
for the partnerships in place with U.S. Forest Service Rogue River Siskiyou
National Forest, Bureau of Land Management Medford District, all local city and
county agencies, ODF Klamath-Lake District, Cal Fire and finally, Oregon
Department of Forestry IMT I. The amount of fires we have been able to keep
small is a testament to our superb partnerships throughout our area.

With increased fire
activity on Grizzly Peak near Ashland, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM)
Medford District jointly with the Oregon Department of Forestry Southwest
Oregon District have decided that a temporary closure of the Grizzly Peak Trail
system is necessary in order to protect public health and safety. The closure
is effective immediately and will be in place until the area is deemed safe for
public access.

Currently, firefighters
are still engaged on Grizzly Peak; however, only three of the five fires initially
reported are still actively burning. The first two fires were knocked down and 100%
contained by early afternoon. Both are less than an acre in size. Firefighters
are engaged on the final three fires tonight. The fires range from ¼ acre to 2
acres, and are each at least 30% mopped up and 100% lined. We will continue to
work on these fires swiftly and efficiently in order to eliminate any further
risk to public and firefighter safety.

Closure signs will be
placed at main entry points to the area; however, maps of the closure area can
be obtained through the BLM Medford District Office. The Grizzly Peak Trail is
on federal land administered by the Bureau of Land Management out of its
Medford District office. It is a popular hiking area that attracts several
visitors during the summer months. Therefore, we hope this precaution keeps
both visitors and firefighters safe as they continue to make progress on the
series of fires on Grizzly Peak.

The full Emergency
Closure Notification is below. For additional information, please reach out to
the BLM Medford District office at (541) 618-2200, or the Oregon Department
Southwest Oregon District Medford Unit at (541 664-3328.

###

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

BUREAU
OF LAND MANAGEMENT

MEDFORD
DISTRICT

3040
Biddle Rd.

Medford
OR 97504

EMERGENCY CLOSURE OFPUBLICLANDS: Jackson County,
Oregon

AGENCY: Bureau of Land Management, Medford District Office, Oregon

ACTION: Temporary closure of public land in Jackson County, Oregon.

SUMMARY: The
Medford District, Bureau of Land Management (BLM) is giving notice that we are
temporarily closing the Grizzly Peak Trails beginning on August 11, 2017. These
restrictions are to protect public health and safety (43 CFR 9268.3(d)(1).

PENALTIES: Authorities for
this closure are section 303(a)oftheFederalLandPolicyand ManagementActof1976(43U.S.C.I733(a))and43CFR8360.0-7. Any person who knowingly and willfully violates any closure order
issued under § 9268.3(c)(2) of this title shall be fined not more than $1,000
or imprisoned for not more than 12 months, or both.Such violations may also be subject
to the enhanced penalties asprovidedforby18U.S.C.3571.

Shady Cove, Oregon – Wednesday evening’s thunderstorm activity brought much needed precipitation to the Flounce Fire with as much as a quarter inch of rain in some areas. The fire stands at an estimated 690 acres and 10 percent contained.

While the rain served as a welcome relief to cool portions of the fire down, it also creates a slew of safety concerns. The added moisture on the ground, combined with burning root systems, weakens trees that could potentially fall at a moment’s notice, compromising firefighter safety and carrying burning material downhill across fire lines. Also of concern is the potential for rock slides in the steep, rugged terrain. The area of greatest concern is the southeast corner of the fire where the rocky cliffs make it difficult to establish solid containment lines. Helicopters will focus bucket drops in that area to support ground forces.

The west flank of the fire is in excellent condition. Crews will continue extensive mop up along the western line while also being available to support Oregon Department of Forestry’s Southwest Oregon District and its cooperators by responding to new fires in Jackson and Josephine Counties.

A Level One (Be Ready) evacuation notice remains in effect for residents on Evergreen Drive and Lewis Road near Prospect. Jackson County Emergency Management and local fire agencies will continue to coordinate with fire team personnel in evaluating the situation. Level One of the three-level 'Be Ready, Get Set, Go!' evacuation system is something everyone should incorporate into their daily lives. It’s all about having a plan, including assembled emergency kits, being aware of escape plans and evacuation routes and sites, and being ready to go at a moment’s notice, regardless of the emergency. Learn more at our local emergency managemt page www.rvem.org, or wildlandfirersg.org.

Roughly 650 personnel are currently assigned to the Flounce Fire. Fire crews are also being supported with 9 helicopters, 19 engines, and 17 water tenders.

Wednesday, August 9, 2017

Today, ODF Southwest firefighters
worked diligently chasing smokes and knocking down multiple fires throughout
Jackson and Josephine Counties. While several of our starts are dead out, there
are a handful of fires that crews are continuing to work on overnight.

The Stratton Creek Fire, burning seven
miles northwest of Merlin, is estimated to be 30 acres as of nightfall. The
fire originated as three separate fires burning in mixed terrain consisting of
tall brush and timber on the north side of the Rogue River near Hellgate Canyon
Bridge. Two of the three fires burned together late this evening which will
pose a challenge to firefighters as they work to line the fire in a steep,
rugged landscape. The third fire has already been completely knocked down by
air and ground resources. Firefighters will continue to work on containment
tonight. Air operations will resume in the morning.

The Reuben Fire, which we mentioned
earlier today, was burning roughly five air miles north of Grave Creek Bridge
and the Rogue River Trail. The initial estimate put the fire at five acres, but
as of this evening the fire was knocked down and 100% lined at 10.75 acres.
Crews will continue to mop up the interior of the fire tonight.

The Doe
Spring Fire is burning right off the Josephine - Douglas County border just
north of Mount Reuben. Thanks to the collaborative efforts between ODF Southwest and the Douglas
Forest Protective Association, firefighters are inching closer to getting a
line around the full perimeter of the roughly 6.5 acre fire. We truly
appreciate the collaborative, aggressive initial attack that both agencies are displaying.

The Redwood Highway Fire is now in
extensive mop up. Multiple agencies responded to the roughly 10 acre fire burning
in a salvage yard and adjacent wildland off Redwood Highway 199 and Airport
Drive in Cave Junction. Due to the fantastic teamwork by structural and
wildland firefighters alike, the fire was knocked down quickly and all
evacuation orders have been lifted. No structures were lost. Although Redwood
Highway 199 was initially closed to through traffic, it is open tonight.
However, firefighters will be working on mopping up this fire for several days.
Due to the variety of materials burned, hot spots are more prone to pop up. We
are working to eliminate any chance of reignition on this fire.

Finally, several additional fires were
located and extinguished throughout the day. Tonight, firefighters are still
following up on new reports of smoke in order to hold true to our mission of
keeping fires small and keeping our community safe. As always, we would like to
thank all of our partnering fire agencies for the continued support and cooperation.

We would like to remind everyone that the
fire danger level on Oregon Department of Forestry protected lands in Jackson
and Josephine counties remains at “extreme” (red). For a full list of the
public restrictions currently in place, visit our Facebook page: @ODFSouthwest
or our website: www.swofire.com.

Shady Cove, Oregon –Thanks to favorable weather, firefighters were able
to gain substantial ground on the Flounce Fire today. The fire has shown little
growth in the past 24 hours, but still remains of great concern with
thunderstorms still in the forecast. The fire is currently estimated at 690
acres and 10 percent contained.

Also today, fire crews and a helicopter responded to and suppressed a
lightning-caused fire from Tuesday night’s thunderstorm activity just east of
the main fire perimeter. A number of crews, engines and aircraft assigned to
the Flounce Fire were also diverted to support Oregon Department of Forestry’s
Southwest Oregon District and cooperators initial attack efforts on other new
fires. A Red Flag Warning remains in effect for significant lightning, dry
fuels and gusty, erratic winds. Fire danger remains extreme.

A Level One (Be Ready) evacuation notice remains in effect for residents on
Evergreen Drive and Lewis Road near Prospect.

Crews will continue to strengthen containment lines and begin extensive mop-up
in an effort to minimize additional fire spread.

Roughly 650 personnel are currently assigned to the Flounce Fire. Fire crews
are also being supported with 9 helicopters, 19 engines, and 17 water tenders.

To stay current on any changes in fire activity, follow us on social media
@Facebook.com/ODFsouthwest.